The second chapter of the cinematic adaptation of the beloved Broadway musical, Wicked: For Good, has defied gravity at the box office, soaring to a historic opening weekend. Universal’s highly anticipated film conjured an astonishing $150 million domestically and a massive $226 million worldwide, shattering numerous records and cementing its place as a blockbuster phenomenon. The film not only surpassed the impressive opening of its predecessor, 2024’s Wicked, but also set new benchmarks for movie musicals and its celebrated cast and crew.
Wicked: For Good: A Spellbinding Performance
The spectacular debut of Wicked: For Good speaks to the enduring popularity of the source material and the massive anticipation built over the past year. The film essentially competed against its own first part, which opened to $112.5 million domestic and $164 million globally, and emerged victorious. The opening weekend was fueled by a record-setting first day, which saw the film earn $68.9 million, including $30.8 million from domestic previews alone.
This level of success indicates a powerful connection with audiences, who flocked to theaters to witness the conclusion of Elphaba and Glinda’s story on the big screen. The film’s success is a significant win for Universal and a testament to the power of a well-executed musical event film in today’s theatrical landscape.
A List of Defied Expectations
The box office haul for Wicked: For Good resulted in a remarkable list of broken records. The film’s performance has set new career highs for its stars and director while also making its mark on the history of musical adaptations. Here is a comprehensive list of the records set during its opening weekend:
- Biggest Global and Domestic Opening for a Movie Based on a Broadway Show
- Biggest Global and Domestic Opening for Ariana Grande
- Biggest Global and Domestic Opening for Cynthia Erivo
- Biggest Global and Domestic Opening for filmmaker Jon M. Chu
- Biggest Opening for a Musical Feature by Composer Stephen Schwartz
- Biggest Domestic and Global Opening for Producer Marc Platt, surpassing his previous high with 2019’s Aladdin.
- Biggest First Day at the Domestic Box Office for a Movie Based on a Broadway Musical ($68.9M)
- Biggest Domestic Previews for a Movie Based on a Broadway Musical ($30.8M)
- Biggest November Domestic Opening for a Movie Musical, flying past Moana 2.
- 3rd Highest Opening Weekend for a Movie Musical of All-Time at the domestic box office.
- 3rd Highest Opening Weekend at the November Domestic Box Office overall.
- 2nd Biggest Opening at the 2025 Domestic Box Office to date.
- 2nd Biggest Opening for Universal of All-Time at the domestic box office, behind only Jurassic World.
- 2nd Biggest Domestic Opening Prior to the Thanksgiving Holiday.
- 4th Biggest Global Hollywood Movie Opening of 2025.
- 5th Highest Global Opening of a Musical of All-Time.
As Wicked: For Good continues its theatrical run, all eyes will be on its staying power. With strong audience scores and holiday weeks ahead, the film is poised to continue its magical run and become one of the defining cinematic events of the year.
